


Ope! They Were Roommates: An Aggressively Midwestern Reylo AU

by savethespacewhales



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Being Midwestern as a love language, Christmas, Culvers, Deer, F/M, First Kiss, I sing the song of my midwestern people, Minor Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey is Nobody (Star Wars), Roommates, Scotcharoos, Snow, Soft Ben Solo, aggressively midwestern, ope!, ranch dressing, set in the midwest, tater tot casserole
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-28
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-12 19:16:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,385
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29764350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savethespacewhales/pseuds/savethespacewhales
Summary: Rey moves to a small midwestern town for a new job. Her roommate is Ben Solo, a nice midwestern boy.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 89
Kudos: 155





	Ope! They Were Roommates: An Aggressively Midwestern Reylo AU

**Author's Note:**

> This is just a silly little love letter the the land I love best: the midwest. 
> 
> Thank you to [theselittlethings](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theselittlethings)  
> for the beta read!
> 
> Thank you to [kyloxreytfa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amethyst214/pseuds/kyloxreytfa) for the moodboard. I commissioned them [here](https://ko-fi.com/kyloxreytfa/commissions#buyCommissionModal)

After months of job searching, Rey found a job. It meant relocating, so Rey relocated. It wasn’t a sexy or exciting part of the country, but one had to go where the jobs were. And when she was offered a position at Jedi Technologies, she was just grateful to finally know she would be getting paychecks regularly. She didn’t mind moving to the Midwest. It was the smallest town Rey ever lived in, though the student population from the local liberal arts college gave it a younger feel than it would have had otherwise.

She had no family, and didn’t have any close friends. She didn’t have any ties to certain geographical areas (being left behind at a gas station as a little kid by your parents will do that to you). And when she realized the cost of living was extremely affordable, she was actually kind of excited to move. 

A friend of a friend helped her find a roommate. So she and Ben Solo shared a duplex with a couple next door: Finn and Poe. Ben was a mountain of a man (maybe they just grew bigger out here?). His family lived in the area, but he didn’t have much contact with them. Finn and Poe were fun and friendly, and soon Rey joined in things like game night and going out for dinner. Having a roommate and friendly neighbors was like a ready-made friend group. A bonus of having a roommate was that Rey was able to pay more than the minimum due on her student loans. And the mere fact she had a roommate at all meant that she had more human contact than she was accustomed to. 

All in all, the arrangement suited nicely. It helped Rey adjust to some of the culture shock from the move. From observing Ben, Finn, and Poe, she learned that while talking incessantly about the weather spanned cultures and locations, there was a particular tenacity to it in the midwest. Maybe because the weather could vary so much — not just day to day, but hour to hour. One day in summer, Rey experienced a 40 degree temperature change and a severe thunderstorm. She was worried at first, jumping at every boom of thunder. Ben joked with her that one of the benefits of living there meant that you could experience “all four seasons in one day!” Told stories of how his dad was a volunteer spotter for the National Weather Service.

Hearing these anecdotes, Rey laughed at Ben’s impressions of Han talking about funnel cloud rotations — and the notion of purposely going  _ out  _ in dangerous weather rather than seeking shelter. Soon the storm passed, and she realized that Ben purposely stayed and entertained her so she wouldn’t feel afraid. 

Ben was kind that way. Thoughtful, but not in an ostentatious way that drew attention to it. More in a quiet way that felt like a supporting hand at your back, comforting and always there for you. It was easy to miss if you weren’t looking. But Rey had spent so much of her life utterly alone. She felt its soft strength and cherished it all the more  _ because _ it was quiet.

One evening around dusk, Rey picked up her keys from the front table, intending to head out for some groceries. Ben sat on the couch, hunched over reading something on the coffee table. He looked up when he heard the door open, his cheeks flushed when he asked.

“Heading out?” 

“Yeah, gonna pick up some milk and cereal. You need anything?” she inquired.

Ben shook his head. “I’m good,” he replied. “Watch out for deer.” 

He turned back to his papers. Rey was puzzled. Before she could think better of it, she asked, 

“Deer?”

“Yeah,” Ben replied, this time not looking at her. “They’re really bad this year, can really mess up your car. I didn’t think you were used to wildlife jumping into the road. It happens here, even in town.”

Rey pictured a cartoon of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer tap-dancing across a highway. How strange. She shook her head to clear it.

“Thanks for the warning,” she said before going out to her car.

And thank goodness he  _ had  _ warned her. Because sure enough, Rey barely had time to slam on her brakes before a huge antlered-creature leapt across the road, followed by three slightly-smaller deer (baby deer!!) gamboled behind. Rey watched them scamper away, breathing deeply to quiet the beating of her heart. 

_ Watch out for deer, indeed. _

________________________________________________________

Rey had researched winter weather. She ordered a warm coat, boots, hat, and gloves. She thought she was prepared. Until her first snowstorm. 

She expected snow, just not so much all at once? Judging from her view out the window,  _ a lot  _ of snow had fallen. Her boots would be completely covered. How was she going to get all of  _ that _ off her car? Their duplex didn’t have garage space, so everyone’s cars were exposed to Mother Nature. Rey dressed in her warmest sweater and thick socks. As she psyched herself up to go out into the elements, Ben came in the front door. He wore a thick puffy black coat and a buffalo plaid hat with ear flaps pulled down. He stomped the snow off his boots and began to unwrap his scarf. 

“How is it outside?” Rey asked pensively. She bit her lip, dreading having to go out in the cold.

“Not that bad,” Ben replied, his voice muffled in layers. “I shoveled.”

Shoveling hadn’t even occurred to Rey. “Oh, oh thanks!” she gushed. “I’ll help out next time! I’m sorry I didn’t even think about it.”

Ben smiled. She could see his face now. His cheeks were rosey from the cold, his hair mussed from his hat. 

“No worries,” he answered quickly. “I started your car for you, so it’s cleaned off and warm.”

He bent to yank off his boots, missing the look of surprise and then pleasure that melted into a smile. He saved her a lot of time and effort, for no reason other than to be nice. It made her feel warm inside. Which she’d need, in this climate.

“That was so thoughtful,” she whispered. 

Ben looked up and smiled at her, shyly. “Be careful out there, go slow, give yourself time to stop. And call me when you get there, so I know you made it? Please? I’m working from home today.”

Rey was touched by his thoughtfulness again. She wasn’t accustomed to people being this invested in her well-being. 

“I’ll be careful. And I’ll text.  _ And  _ I’ll ask about working from home next time.” 

She was tense on the drive to work, but she followed Ben’s advice and drove with extreme caution. She slid approaching stop signs, but remembered what Ben said and gave herself plenty of time to stop. She grinned from her desk when she texted Ben she made it safely.

_ Thanks for letting me know.  _ He quickly replied. 

She smiled most of the day. 

**________________________________________________**

Rey was having a terrible day. Everything that could have gone wrong, did. On top of that, she had cramps.  _ And _ she hadn’t had a chance to eat all day. Her phone rang as she waited for her car to warm up. It was Ben.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey Rey, jeet yet?” 

Ben's voice sounded so deep over the phone. Too bad she was unable to understand what he said. From his intonation she gathered it was a question.

“What?” she asked.

“Didya eat yet?” Ben repeated, speaking more slowly.

“No,” she answered. “But I’m starved and I’ve had a horrible day.”

“Meet me at home. I’m bringing you Culver's.” He hung up.

Rey had driven by Culver's but hadn’t eaten there yet. At this point she would put anything edible she could get into her mouth.

Ben got home shortly after she did, carrying a greasy bag that smelled incredible and a drink carrier with ice cream — or frozen custard, as she learned later when Ben made a face of mock horror when she incorrectly labeled the dairy product.

Ben set out the food for her, explaining what she was eating. Apparently Culver's was very serious business. As Rey devoured her double bacon cheese butterburger and cheese curds — 

(“Dip them in ranch!” Ben urged, shoving the packets towards her. “You HAVE to have them with ranch. It’s the nectar of the gods.”) 

— and sipped on her concrete mixer, her stomach filled and she felt the fog of hunger and irritation clear her mind. 

Leaning back in her chair, she unbuttoned the top of her jeans. “Hmmm,” she sighed contentedly. 

Ben laughed and did the same, patting his own round belly. “The beauty of Culver's,” he chuckled.

They chatted at the table for some time afterwards, basking in the glow of their food coma.

Thus began the tradition of weekly Culver's nights. But nothing tasted  _ quite  _ as good as that first night Ben brought her a treat, just because she had a bad day, and they grinned at each other over their concrete mixers.

**_______________________________________________**

Rey stumbled out of bed. She was exhausted, having not slept well the night before. But she urgently needed to pee, so she shuffled to the bathroom, eyes not really open and moving on autopilot.

Her autopilot was running a bit too slowly to recognize the steam hitting her face when she opened the bathroom door. A second too late, she realized that Ben was in the bathroom — standing there, wrapped in a towel, with wet hair and a  _ glistening _ chest. 

A huge, broad, expansive chest. 

Her senses again registering things offbeat, Rey realized she was staring with her mouth open. She had walked in on him in the bathroom and now stood there, dumbly.

“I’m s-s-staring — sorry!! ” she finally managed to say. “I didn’t know you were in here!”

She forced herself to look up at Ben’s face, which was deep red. He chewed his lip for a minute before muttering,

“Ope! Lemme just sneak past ya!” and fleeing the room.

Well, who could blame him? She invaded his privacy and was totally weird about it. She sat down to pee, sitting on the toilet much longer than necessary. Sure, her roommate was a big guy, but she didn't know he had all  _ that  _ going on underneath his clothes. 

Damn.

___________________________________________

Apparently the universe wasn’t done putting her in awkward situations, because later that evening Rey heard a knock on the door. 

Ben wasn’t home and he wouldn’t knock anyways. Maybe it was Poe or Finn dropping off something. She didn’t bother changing out of the ratty PJs she put on after work. She opened the door to find a short woman with gray streaks threaded through her brown hair that was twisted into an elegant updo. She held a rectangular pan covered with foil, and had warm brown eyes. Eyes that looked somewhat familiar.

“Rey?” the woman greeted. Her face broke into a smile. “I’m Ben’s mom, Leia. I just stopped by to drop off this pan of tater tot casserole. I made some last night and I always make up an extra pan for Ben, it’s his favorite. Can I come in?”

Rey moved so that Leia,  _ Ben’s mom _ , could come inside. Rey followed her to the kitchen.

“Jeet yet?” Leia asked. 

At this point Rey was versed enough in Midwestern to understand. She shook her head no. Rey watched Leia set her dish on the counter. She clearly knew her way around this kitchen, even if she hadn’t visited since Rey lived here. At least not when Rey was home. Leia took out a plate, heaped on a mound of whatever-she-called-it, and popped it in the microwave. 

When it beeped, Leia set the plate with a napkin and fork in front of Rey and gestured for her to dig in. Steam rose in wispy curls from a mixture of ground beef, mixed vegetables, and potatoes that Ben had made for her once, called tater tots. 

Rey blew on her forkful to cool it, then ate the bite. Rey wasn’t known for a discerning palette, she was too hungry too often growing up to take any food for granted — but this was good. The mixture of textures and the homey flavors was satisfying, hearty. Before Rey knew it, her plate was empty. 

Leia smiled at her enthusiasm and quickly reheated another plate. Rey ate this second helping slower, and Leia took advantage to pepper Rey with questions. Questions about her work her free time, her personal life (turns out the founder of the company Rey worked for is Leia’s twin brother). She managed to be incredibly nosey without any of her questions  _ feeling _ intrusive. Rey was adept at avoiding and redirecting most lines of questioning. Before long, Rey was invited to spend Christmas with Ben and his parents. 

“I absolutely insist! Ben and Han will both be on their best behavior if you’re there!” 

Ben was embarrassed when Rey told hi about her encounter with his mother. As Rey took in his soft eyes and warm cheeks she realized how cute he was when he was flustered. How cute he was all the time, really. 

“Yeah, no, yeah,” he said, shrugging. “She can be a lot. I’m sorry about that.”

Rey hurried to reassure him. “No, she was so nice, and she fed me! And she, well, she invited me for Christmas.” She lost confidence as Ben’s face morphed into a frown. “I don’t have to go Ben, I don’t want to intrude, but it isn’t easy to tell your mom no and —”

“I’d love you to come home at Christmas,” Ben interrupted, his deep voice just above a whisper. “I was going to ask you myself. I didn’t want you to be alone that day.”

Rey felt a swooping sensation in her abdomen, like her stomach was doing flips. After a childhood of being ignored and unwanted on holidays, she found herself so touched that Ben thought of her.

“Okay, then,” she whispered back. When had their conversation become so quiet? “I’d love to come.”

______________________

Christmas morning, Rey sat next to Ben in his car as they drove to his parents’ farm. A modest bag of gifts was in the back seat, and Rey held a 9x13 pan of scotcharoos that Ben made. It was actually the second batch of scotcharoos Ben had made because Rey, Finn, and Poe decimated his first pan. It was one of the best things Rey (and Finn and Poe) had ever eaten. Ben was a tremendously good sport about it. From Poe’s teasing remarks, Rey gathered that Ben was usually not so magnanimous about his treats. 

On the drive, Rey noticed that Ben nodded his head at every vehicle that passed, or lifted his left index finger in a sort of one finger salute. People here did greet each other obsessively.

“What is Christmas like with your family?” she asked.

Ben shrugged. “Mom will feed us a lot of food and send home leftovers. We'll open gifts. My dad will be a smartass. The usual.” His tone had a note of fondness in it. 

“Well, you know I love food!” Rey chimed. Even if there was some social awkwardness, at least her belly would be full.

__________________

Ben drastically underestimated the amount of food that Leia would ply them with during the day. A sit-down meal with ham, a gloopy cheesy mess called hashbrown casserole, green bean casserole, and strawberry pretzel dessert. (Casseroles were very big here.) Not to mention cookies and other treats, including several of Ben’s scotcharoos.

Ben’s dad, Han, won Rey over with his folksy charm. Ben was actually a lot like him, though she thought that Ben wouldn’t agree with that comparison. Han seemed a little rough around for edges for Leia, but Rey observed how attentive he was to her, how his eyes followed her around the room. Later Han showed Rey an old project he worked on in his free time, restoring an old car. Rey soon proved herself knowledgeable enough on engines to earn Han’s respect. 

Later, after more treats and more food, everyone sat by the fireplace in the living room. The lights from the tree twinkled and Rey wondered at the fact she had spent a major holiday with someone else’s family — and hadn’t once felt like an intrusion.

Han pulled the lever on his recliner to elevate his feet. “Uff da!” he grunted, wiggling his toes as he stretched his legs. Han’s ancient dog Chewie jumped onto his lap and turned in a circle before settling in for a scratch behind the ears from Han. 

Han started telling an anecdote about a Christmas when Ben was younger. Rey soon lost the plot when Han mentioned that he cleaned off Leia’s car for her, and started it during bad weather.

Rey felt her heart beating fast in her chest. “Sorry,” she interrupted. “But why did you do that? For her car, I mean.”

All eyes turned to her. Well, not Ben’s. She noticed that he was staring at his lap.

Han chuckled and muttered something about “Princess.” Leia smiled at him fondly and said, “Han always cleans off my car for me, it’s how he says ‘I love you.’”

Unphased by her interruption, Han returned to his story. Her heart kept pounding. She looked over at Ben. It was hard to tell in the low light, but his face looked flushed. She could see him working his lips like he did when he was thinking.

Rey thought of Ben shoveling and cleaning off her car, even starting it. He did that every single time it snowed. She thought of him bringing her Culver's, and asking her to text him when she got to work. She thought of how he was kind and sweet and always there for her, without ever making her feel like she was too much or not enough.

She thought of Leia’s words: “It’s how he says ‘I love you.’” 

Rey smiled secretly, to herself.

_____________________________

Ben was quiet on the drive home. The roads were empty, and Rey’s head kept replaying the epiphany she had on Leia’s couch. The backseat was full of labeled tupperware containers crammed full of leftovers and cookies. 

“Let me fix you a plate!” Leia entreated, before packaging up enough food for several plates and pressing Ben and Rey to take home. Then after about an hour of hemming and hawing and saying “well, we should head out,” they were on their way.

They pulled into the driveway and Ben turned off the ignition. Neither one of them moved. 

Ben’s hands flexed on the steering wheel and Rey slowly reached out and placed her hand on his arm.

“Ben?” Hervoice was so soft, she could barely hear herself over the hammering of her heart. 

Ben met her eyes. She could  _ feel  _ the way he was looking at her.

Rey urged herself to be brave. “You know that story your dad told?”

Ben rolled his eyes. “Which one? The man’s a walking anecdote, I swear when he gets to drinking beers with my Uncle Lando he —”

“The story where your mom said that he says he loves her by cleaning off her car all winter,” Rey interrupted.

Ben looked down in his lap sheepishly. “Yes.” 

“You clean off  _ my  _ car,” Rey said.

A quick look up, and then a nod as he lowered his eyes again.

Rey moved her hand up to Ben’s face. She ran her fingers down his cheek. Any doubts she still had evaporated when he leaned into her touch. She traced the outline of his ear, moved her hand to the back of his neck and turned his head to look at her. 

She leaned in and pressed her lips to his, quickly. She pulled away slightly, close enough that their breaths mingled. Ben’s expression was one of surprise. Rey smiled. 

“That’s how I say ‘I love you.’”

Ben’s smile lit up his entire face, and before Rey could say another word, he kissed her, hands coming up to cradle her face. His kiss was gentle but firm. 

It was Ben Solo, personified.

Eventually, they separated, grinning at each other. 

“Ope!” Rey said, giggling. “Let’s head on in.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
